January 10, 2021 by Tosh Berman

 

January 10, 2021

It must be challenging to be Jared Kushner, to have money, but have nothing else. Today is his birthday, and he turned 40-years old. When I researched a subject matter, I like to look at their images when they were young, especially if they're photos from their childhood. Oddly enough, it's impossible for me to find a picture of him as a ten-year-old or younger. And nothing of him as a teenager. His father, a felon and recently pardoned by Trump is the same age as me. Which I found shocking. In that sense, if I had a son, he could be the same age as Jared. Selfishly, I chose not to have any children, in case I produced a monster like Jared Kushner.

On January 10, Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and Jared did the same when he got married into the Trump family. His father, Charles, was a strong figure in the Kushner family. He often had temper tandems and cruelty against his enemies, including a family member, married to Charles's sister.  He set him up by hiring a prostitute and then secretly recorded their sex sessions and sent them to his own sister. He was sent to prison for two years and released on my birthday, August 25, 2006. 

Jared and his wife Ivanka have a sizable art collection, including Alex Israel, Dan Colen, Nate Lowman, Alex Da Corte, and David Outrowski.  Richard Prince was alarmed that they own a work by him and told the media it was 'fake art.' Ivanka did a photoshoot for her Instagram page, showing Christopher Wool's painting behind an Ivanka Trump brand Mara Bag. That image was deleted from her account. Already, the embarrassment of being associated with the Kushners was starting when Trump became President in 2016. Still, it's almost impossible to read Jared's face. He is known to be extremely polite and never seems to lose his temper. He was taught to dance around his father's anger, which made him perfect in Donald James Trump's world. 

Jared shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra, Jr.  Frank Jr. was kidnapped when he was 19-years old. Dad paid the ransom, and all the negotiation was done through pay telephones. Frank Jr was concerned that he wouldn't have enough dimes for the phone calls, so to the very day of his death, he always carried 10 dimes in his pocket and was buried with 10 dimes in his pocket.  Being named and the son of Frank Sinatra opened doors for him. Still, he was quoted as saying, ""a famous father means that in order to prove yourself, you have to work three times harder than the guy off the street." Jared, as far as I know, never talked about his father in such a manner. 

On his birthday today, it must be a gloomy day for him. To turn 40, and knowing that your reputation is trashed, as well as your wife's career thrown in the trash can as well. The one thing I'm sure he's aware of is that his father's career was destroyed, but he came from the shit landscape into the air of New York Property.  Power rarely loses power, but one can be isolated into the vacant world of a building or home that serves no purpose but a reflection of an empty soul drowning in infinite images of failure. In all sincerity, I acknowledge Jared's birthday today as one of a celebration of a person who never had a soul. Nor, as far as I can see, a picture from his childhood. 

-Tosh Berman.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

I have a problem.  A writer’s problem to be exact.  I have an urge to document and write on the Trump administration or White House.  It’s my nature to write satirical pieces.  I like to observe the world and somehow make it more absurd, to bring out the reality or the substance of that reality out to the open.  When I try to write about President Trump, I fail.

Also, I don’t think I’m the only one with this problem. I have seen excellent reporting on Trump’s world, but the observations or making humor seems to fail on a regular basis.   I read all the commentary in various publications, both from the Left and Right, and all fail.  I can’t speak for them, but since I have the same problem, I feel it’s the foundation is not settled under my feet.  It shifts like sand on a windy day on the beach.  Whatever ridiculous thing I write about Trump, the ‘great’ man himself seems to top it.   The truth is Trump is hysterical.  No one can touch him with respect to humor.   He’s the type of guy who has a knife on someone’s throat, and everyone says “please drop that knife, Don.”  Then he cuts the guys throat just because he wants to do it, or show that no one has any control over him.  He doesn’t care about the guy whose throat got cut, but cares deeply about how people see him, and even more important, that they don’t control him in any fashion or manner.

Trump is not like Conrad Hilton, who started off working in his Dad’s general store in New Mexico, which eventually he turned that general store into a ten room hotel, and of course, ultimately, the Hilton Hotels around the world.  Trump was very much born into his situation of wealth and followed his daddy’s footsteps into the world of property.   I would like to say that Trump is brilliant at branding, but in no way or fashion have I ever wanted to wear a Trump tie or eat a Trump steak.  I have always considered him a low-life bottom feeder of a tycoon and one with no original creative vision.   Howard Hughes was born rich, but at the very least he had an impressive vision of aviation and owning a movie studio.  Trump never did anything creative in his life. Everything he touches turns into mediocrity.  Including his family and now, the White House.

There are great characters around Trump, for instance, Steve Bannon.  But even writing something satirical about him is hard, due that like his soul brother of sorts, Trump, he’s impossible to make fun of due that he makes himself into a fictional figure.  For one, no one likes Donald Trump.  Bannon, I’m sure, thinks of him as a fool, and of course, every Republican secretly and (sometimes) publicly hates him as well.   I seriously doubt that Jared Kushner likes Trump.  I’m going to presume he wants his wife, but his father-in-law.  No.  He can be made fun of, due to the corruption of his very soul.  Trump and Bannon have no soul.  Kushner does, and he knows what he’s doing is bad.  Therefore a chance for a writer to comment on someone like Jared.

For example with Trump.  Him pardoning Sheriff Joe Arpaio.  Apparently, a man who is in the wrong job, but loves the position of power, in the same sense as a boy who likes to be chosen hall monitor at their high school.   Does Trump like or care for Arpaio?  My guess is no. He's just a prop for him to use, and he will throw him under the bus if the mood hits him in the right place.  Arpaio is a man with a vision, a plan even.  Therefore a perfect subject matter for a writer to comment on humorously.  Again, if I was going t focus on Trump, I will come off as a failure.  At this moment and time, it's imperative for writers to comment on their time and era.   The thing is, it's a tough job when you're dealing with a psychopath.  I don't have the skills of a true crime writer, but perhaps one is needed when writing about the Trump administration.

On the other hand, I'll still work on it.   All of us should do so.  I just wished that there was someone like Preston Sturges around.  Where is he when one needs him?

- Tosh Berman

The Evening Series: Wednesday, August 16, 2017

The Evening Series: August 16, 2017

I need a pre-amp for my stereo hi-fi, and at the moment, my right channel, or speaker is not working.  It’s OK if the album is in Mono, but most of my vinyl is in Stereo.  So, in my living room, I have to stay close to the left speaker, which is awkward, because our dining table is closer to the right speaker.  That is where I like to sit and stare at the album cover or read the liner notes while listening to music. 

I had a record listening party, and that too was odd because all seven of us had to sit around the left channel speaker.   I had to get chairs from another room, and what was worse, we were listening to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon,” and I can be wrong, but I feel we’re missing some of the sonic aspects of this specific album, by listening only to the left channel.  We often look at the right speaker, and all of us, shake our heads. 

Since we’re on the second floor, and due to the weight of our bodies by the left speaker, we noticed that the floor was squeaking more.  And when we had our dance party the night of the listening party, close to the left speaker, the floor collapsed.  Of the seven, four died.  I was saved due that the left speaker fell and got stuck between the hole, and therefore by holding on the speaker I survived this ordeal.  Sadly we had to cancel the dance party that night.  

For me, it was touch and go.  I had to decide to save my life or spear the speaker being damaged in the fall.  Luck had it, we managed (the speaker and me) to get ourselves stuck between the wooden beam and ceiling.  Due to the kindness of our neighbor downstairs, he brought the speaker successfully down from the wooden beam, and my wife pulled me up from above.   After checking to see if the Hi-Fi was OK, I then checked on our guests.  Like I reported before, four died.  It’s a tragedy.  The scratch on the left speaker will always remind me of that evening. 

After fixing the floor (thanks to the landlord Mr. Kushner) it looked new.  When I look at my left speaker, I’m reminded of the tragedy.   Four people lost their lives by dancing to Gary Glitter’s “Rock n’ Roll Part Two”  In one of the ‘yeah’s” in the chorus they went down like a Led Zeppelin.   My wife was spared, if not by God, then by the natural urge to have a drink and to eat some dip on a chip on the other side of the room.   I often think how fate comes in and enhances the scene.  No, I mean life.